What you should know about me- I’ve been married 27 years to my high school sweetheart and have four children ages 15-25. I’m a business owner of Karin Housley Homes & my husband, former NHL player Phil Housley, and I are part owners of Lumberyard Hockey & Sports Training Facility. I’ve authored a business book, published by Random House and am very involved in our community; President of Let’s Go Fishing with Seniors, Board of Community Thread, Lower St. Croix Valley Foundation, Canvas Health Chair and helped bring the Special Olympics to Stillwater. I’ve had The Karin Housley Show on AM1220 KLBB for seven years, a program featuring businesses, non-profits and events in the area. Washington County Agricultural Society Member, Washington County Historic Courthouse Advisory Council. MN Farm Bureau member and a Stillwater Chamber Ambassador. We are members of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church. BA in Communication from the State University of New York.

The issues most important to me - Jobs, the economy, education & healthcare. We need to get Minnesotans back to work and help our businesses grow and create jobs. We need to keep our businesses here in Minnesota and enact policies that encourage them to create more jobs. Policies such as lowering high fees, taxes and complicated regulations. Education – I’m the daughter of two public school teachers and I am a big proponent of improving and reforming education. We moved 17 times in 21 years and I became and expert at researching school districts, I have first hand experience as to what works and what doesn’t. Healthcare – we need to focus on our aging baby boomer generation by addressing both housing and insurance needs. We need to be prepared. We also need to make sure that health insurance is affordable. Opening our health care system to competition, increasing consumer-based decision-making in the process and providing greater incentives for those who purchase long-term care insurance are a couple cost-friendly approaches with promise.

What distinguishes me from my opponent – First, I own a business. I have first hand experience with real budgets, and I balance them. My opponent was in the legislature from 2007-2010 and took a 1.8 billion dollar surplus and turned it into a 6.8 billion dollar deficit. I don’t get to ask the tax payers for money when my business needs more. The residents of our district quickly voted her out. I have a track record of leadership and getting things done. I don’t have time for nonsense and party politics. I will work hard and make a difference. It’s the motto I apply to everything, and my resume shows that. I have been involved in the community for as long as I can remember….and not because of political aspirations. I didn’t know I was running until June 5th of this year. I truly care about the people in our district because I am with them everyday. I enjoy being a part of this community, listening to needs of our neighbors and giving back. I will do exactly as I have in my private life at the Capitol, work hard, listen to the people in our district and be present. I was born, raised and educated in the great state of Minnesota and I hope to make it even better.

What I’ll bring to Legislature – I will bring a fresh voice, new ideas, business experience and energy, a lot of which is lacking at the Capitol right now. I look at what happens in government and am astonished at the way things are run. This isn’t 1950. It’s a different world – how we communicate, how we work and how people want to get their information. I teach classes in technology and business. There are so many cost saving reforms that could be implemented if our state were run like a business. Streamlining services, implementing cost effective ways of doing things and making sure that our tax dollars are working in the areas they are sent.

What I’m hearing on the campaign trail – I’m hearing that people are tired of party politics. They want someone with new ideas that hasn’t been tainted by the good old boys club or succumb to their party’s demands . They want someone who understands them and will listen. They want someone they know, trust, and who has a track record of common sense. People want politicians to get along and get things done. Their biggest issue is to get this economy back on track. They know me from years of being part of this community and they know I can help turn this state around.